Dancing with a Demon
by Thunderfall
Summary: My take on the Tartaros arc - This is a oneshot or a two-shot, depending how I feel about it. After Erza gets taken by Tartaros Jellal finds her, but she's not how she used to be WARNING! (possible) CHARACTER DEATH


**So I'm back with another story that I wrote at 3 am...I didn't proofread any of it so there might be a few mistakes but I really wanted to do this**

**Disclaimer - All the Characters belong to Hiro Mashima**

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‚Where Is Erza?' he demanded and pressed the unconscious body against the cold stonewall. His emerald eyes were burning with rage as his hands tightened the grasp on his opponents clothes, or rather, what was left of it. He knew deep inside of him it was useless. The demon was knocked out and the black blood that dripped down her forehead just confirmed that he had to look for the hostages himself, but still he somehow had to direct his anger somewhere

'WHERE IS SHE?' he roared and let her fall to the ground before sending a mighty ray of light to a nearby pillar, completely pulverising it.

'Jellal! Calm down or you're gonna burry us!' Meredy reminded him and held him back from sending another blast. She pulled on the remnants of his cloak and stopped his arm but the only thing she got was an angry glare of the man she saw as her brother all those years. His face was filled with pure hate and anger, but also with panic. He was like an open book to her and she could understand the reason why he felt this way. He loved Erza so much the mere thought of losing her would destroy his world completely.

He forcefully freed his arm and sent another blast in the wall before he shouted from the top of his lungs 'ERZA!'

His voice was filled with despair and the only thing that came back to his ears was his echo. No cheerful or happy 'Jellal!', no shade of scarlet running towards him…

The only scarlet that was present in this room was his own blood that run down his body from the previous fight.

'Jellal, calm down, I'm gonna…I'm gonna search for a prison or…lab…or…something like that, just promise me you'll stay here and for the love of god, don't do anything'

Meredys voice shook when the realization hit her that he was currently a cornered monster. She had to hurry up before he was losing his sanity again.

She reluctantly turned around and ran across the hall, desperately searching for some sort of door or entrance, but the stony walls kept their secrets. The blank and ice-cold walls seemed to be a dead-end, but according to the informations they had, they were kept down here.

'Oh no, Oh no, Oh no…'she muttered as her hands tapped against the walls, hoping to find a hollow space 'come on, come on, where are you?'

She heard a 'thump' from the main hall and rapidly, she hurried back only to see her friend lying on the ground.

'JELLAL!' she shouted and sprinted towards him. His bloody form was covered in wounds and he began to breathe heavily. When she reached him, she checked for his pulse and noticed with horror that his heart was racing way too fast, just like he was about to collapse.

'Jellal, pull yourself together, you can't save her if you die here' she whispered as she observed his wounds. What the hell had he done to bleed like this? How didn't she notice those wounds before? What exactly did he do to make them worse? The only reason she could think of was –

'You weren't trying to cast a powerful spell, weren't you?' she stated with shock and judging by the guilt in his eyes, he had tried it.

'You idiot!' You could have killed yourself, it's no use finding her if you're gonna-'

'I…don't care as long as she's save' he coughed out blood and looked her sternly in the eyes…he was one hundred percent serious. 'Think about her! How should I explain it to her when we find her and you've blown yourself up? Don't you think you think she'll blame herself? You know her better than I do, you know she would' Meredy tried to reach his reason but the desperate man didn't work like the reasonable one she knew for almost 8 years. 'Meredy…with your sensory link, is there a possibility that it can…work as a tracker' he proposed while he pulled himself upwards so that he could take a look at his wounds. 'Jellal, we should really treat your wounds first, I don't know if you'll even survive a connection and when you're hurt that badly it will only hurt Erza too, so don't you think we should treat you first?'

Her proposal was a reasonable one and so, Jellal reluctantly allowed her to rip a few parts of his cloak and hood and turned them into a makeshift bandage, carefully wrapping it around his torso and arms.

'So, can you do it?'

Meredy wrapped the last pieces of the fabric around the big wound on his shoulder when she reached in her pocked, pulling out painkillers. She was used having them with her since she was the medic of Crime Sorciere after Ultears death and she thanked god for her foster mother's medical training. She stuck 3 of them in Jellals mouth and let him swallow it without waiting for any complains since the idiot couldn't think clearly.

'Yes, I can do it but you know the risk' she stated and her comrade nodded in agreement.

Her magic allowed her to connect two people and they share the pain, happiness or thoughts, but if one of them died or is already dead when the link established itself, it would drag the other one with him. 'Meredy, I don't care, do it' he pleaded and the pink haired girl took a deep breath, concentrating her magic while Jellal thought of the one he loved the most in this world. This connection was going to be a strong one and if she was dead he would be too just in a matter of seconds. He wouldn't even know…he wouldn't feel a thing…maybe it was better if he died like this before finding her lifeless body.

The link established and the symbol showed up on Jellals wrist and in a matter of seconds he cried out in pain. His arms and legs twisted in the most obscure ways while his face distorted itself in grimaces that looked like the grim reaper himself.

Meredy knew what this meant. Erza was alive and she was in agony.

'SHUT IT…DOWN!' he managed to growl out with gritted teeth while a devilish grin formed on his face. It looked like he had found what he wanted.

With a swift motion of her hand Meredy cut the link and Jellal fell back on the floor, gasping for air in exhaustion but he instantly pulled himself up and walked with a limb, constantly trying not to fall down. He looked so obsessed about finding what he had searched that Meredy had to ask himself if she even knew this man. 'It has to be here somewhere…here…here…where are you…COME ON!' he shouted and sent a raging blast towards the ground, cracking it and the floor started shaking.

'JELLAL YOU IDIOT!' Meredy screamed and tried to run towards him but she was too late. Before she could reach him he fell down with the segment he blasted off one level deeper.

Dust settled around the room and Meredy had trouble breathing, coughing up the dust that settled in her throat was tough but it also got in her eyes and so, she felt them burning and filling with tears. She crawled forward, afraid she'll see him lying there under all the debris smashed by some rocks in a bloody puddle. She saw something move through the veil of tears that clouded her eyes and she caught side of something blue in all the mist.

Of course he was too stubborn to die…

She saw him crawling out of the debris and getting up, pushing himself forward. His eyes were set on a steady goal that arose her curiosity and so, she leaped into the hole to floor below. Her landing seemed to be a bit softer than his and she saw that some of his wounds had opened again judging by the bloodstains on the floor. His figure was steadily moving forward and she could see green light at the end of the doorway.

She had a hard time to catch up with him. Even with a wounded leg he pushed himself forward at such an unreasonable pace that she was sure he suffered great pain. When the green light came closer she spotted that there were actually three canisters, each containing some sort of glowing liquid. 'Jellal, come here' she said and grabbed his arm, throwing it around her shoulders and supporting him. He reluctantly accepted her offer and she dragged him forward towards the lights, fully knowing that one of them was Erza.

Meredy also couldn't contain her excitement. She knew how much the scarlet haired mage meant to her friend and she remembered the times she and Ultear sat by the campfire, teasing him about his feelings and pushing him to be honest with himself. She remembered the breakdown he had when he found out she vanished and the ultimate joy in his eyes when he heard of her return. She remembered how eager he was to see her even if he tried to contain himself and she knew the burning rage he held whenever she was in danger. She really hoped both of them could finally clear up all the misunderstandings and be honest with themselves, not hiding behind lies and reason anymore and just allow their feelings to take over.

'Erza…'he murmured and she let go of him, letting him stumble the last few steps towards the container on the right where Erza was floating in her naked glory. Meredy noticed that in the two other containers were also women trapped. One of them looked like Fairy Tail's barmaid and the one that was with Jellal on the B-Team, the other one was also familiar to her but she couldn't recall her name.

'Jellal, you get Erza out of there and I'll talk care of the other's'

He nodded and searched for a nearby ladder since he didn't want to smash the container, heaven knew what he would do to himself if he accidentally hurt her.

The liquid felt extremely strange and warm, it also had a toxic smell to it but he didn't care if he was gonna poison himself. Even though the wounds on his arm protested and burned, he managed to grab the floating woman's arm and drag her out of the container, carefully lifting her body up and climbing down the ladder, ignoring the protest of his body.

He gently laid her down and took the remnants of his cloak from his shoulders, covering her naked form and getting rid of the liquid that was still on her body. He saw her chest beginning to rise and fall and immediately checked on her heartbeat, thanking the gods he found a pulse. Her body twitched a bit and she threw her head to the side. Jellal took this as a side effect of the sudden lack of the strange liquid and gently cupped her cheeks, holding her head steady while he pressed his forehead to hers.

'Shhhh, Shhh…everything's gonna be alright, Erza' he whispered in his most soothing voice but she continued to tremble. Jellal didn't know what to do. She continued shaking and trembling and a choking sound got of her throat followed by white foam around her mouth.

'MEREDY! MEREDY HELP ME!' he screamed and saw that Meredy had already dragged the other two out of the containers and also covered the white haired one with her cloak.

'Mirajane is just unconscious, the other one's dead' Meredy stated and helped him to hold Erza steady. She quickly grabbed in her pockets again until she got hold of a painkiller and a sedative, sticking it into Erzas throat and hoping it will do the trick.

'Jellal, the black haired one has developed fangs and abnormalities on her hands'

Jellals mind raced as he looked at the woman on the floor, clenching and throwing herself around in pain. His hand left her arm and he held it down by kneeing on it while he went up to her face, lifting one of her lips.

The sight made his faith drop in an instant.

Her teeth had developed into sharp fangs that reminded him of a shark.

Meredy inhaled deeply and looked over to her friend, concerned about his expressionless face. She knew his mind was racing, she knew his heart was beating way faster and that he tried his best to deny what he just saw. That there was no way Erza wouldn't be his Erza anymore, but she also knew that both of them were in grave danger.

The redheads shaking intensified and Meredy had to put her whole weight on the body to contain her but she fell forward as it suddenly stopped.

Jellal was still spaced out and stared into emptiness that he didn't realize that Erza opened her eyes.

Jellal didn't notice, but Meredy did.

What Meredy also noticed was that those were not Erza Scarlets eyes.

Erza Scarlets eyes were a warm and caring brown, but the eyes that stared back were those of an icy glare. The stinging blue almost glowed in the darkness as the body began to tremble again.

A loud scream that sounded like chalk scratching on a chalkboard filled the air and Meredy let go of the body, covering her ears because the sound caused an immediate headache.

Jellal finally reacted and shock set upon his features as Erzas body began to grow scales and spikes, leaving only her face free from them. On her head grew two big black horns and the fangs pushed forward while her black pupils vanished and the blue took over completely. It was too late, she was a demon now.

The demon set himself upright and Meredy dragged Jellal away from it. She was sure he was still under shock but she also knew that she wasn't strong enough fighting this thing alone.

The demon looked around and spotted them, lazily making its way towards them while raising her claw. Her movements were still a bit clumsy and she looked like an empty vessel, soulless and just taking orders.

'Erza…Erza please…' Meredy pleaded and hoped that something of her human soul was still inside of her but one look in those empty, icy eyes was all it took to shatter her hopes.

The beast roared and extended its claw before letting it fall down and crash onto the floor, only barely missing Meredys and Jellals position.

'JELLAL SNAP OUT OF IT!' Meredy yelled as Jellal still looked unbelievingly at the demon that took over his Erzas body 'JELLAL!'

The beast prepared once again for a strike and with horror, Meredy noticed that Jellal didn't move.

The girl threw herself at her friend, knocking him down just in time to hinder the demon from decapitating him.

'YOU SUICIDAL BASTARD IF YOU DIE HERE WE CAN'T LOOK FOR A WAY TO SAVE HER! JELLAL!' Meredy slapped his face repeatedly to knock some sense into the grieving man but the approaching footsteps filled her with fear. She found herself in the shadow of the beast, looking up in its dead eyes and emotionless face made her quiver with fear.

It was no use. If Jellal had already given up and with them being 600 meters under the surface she couldn't escape. Why did she even bother…when even the man who loved her the most had already given up on Erzas soul…what good was she.

Meredy sat back on her hunches and looked down.

She started tearing up, crying because she failed Ultear, failed Jellal, and failed herself. She promised Ultear to take care of things, to make sure Jellal would find happiness with Erza…she also promised Ultear that she will make herself happy and live to her hearts content but here she was…waiting for the death strike by the very woman she already considered as sister in law.

She closed her eyes, perfectly aware that the last thing she would see on earth was this cold and dirty floor.

She heard the slash of the claws and then, an explosion.

Opening her eyes instantly she saw that Jellal had gotten up and blocked the strike, grabbing the demons arm and throwing it over his shoulder.

Heavily breathing he grasped his chest, obviously in pain. His emerald eyes were filled with fury as he approached the demon lying on the floor. A light ignited in his hand as he threw a beam towards the monster, knocking it into the wall.

The scales seemed to shatter a bit and the demon roared, showing off his fangs it hissed at Jellal.

'Meredy, leave.' He ordered and Meredy knew she didn't have a choice. She knew that he would chose to die with her if he couldn't bring Erza to her senses and that he didn't want her to get hurt, also, when she would escape she could bring help for Erza. Jellal knew he couldn't last that long and he would gladly throw his life away if it meant saving hers.

Meredy nodded reluctantly and sprinted upwards, knowing that the other members of Fairy Tail must be somewhere in here. Throwing one last glance back at Jellal she wished him the best of luck, hoping that he would survive this encounter and live to see another day.

Jellal relaxed as soon as he saw Meredy leaving. The demon eyed him curiously from head to toe before grinning madly and Jellal swore he would destroy it because it dared to use Erzas body, desecrating her angelic features and kind heart and turning it into something like this…it made his blood boil.

He screamed and launched another attack at the demon but the monster gracefully evaded, sprinting towards him for a counter attack. Jellal rolled to the side, ignoring the stinging pain in his chest as his body hit the floor. The claw of the demon made contact with his body and threw him in the nearby wall and he could feel a few of his rips break as he coughed up blood. He knew he wasn't gonna survive this, he didn't even manage to land one blow to the creature that stole his life…

He dropped to the floor and coughed up moor blood and soon, his head got more and more foggy. His eyes lost focus more and more and he could only see the rough form of the demon waiting for his response.

Jellal inhaled deeply and blood filled with his lungs. He tried to stand up but collapsed and fell to the side, seeing the shadow of the monster above him.

Looking up he stared into the face of the demon. It still looked like Erzas, it had her nose, her lips, her eye shape…even the scales on her body were scarlet like her hair…

He knew this was the end. He was going to get killed by the hands of the monster that bared his Scarlets face.

Jellal felt tears in his eyes as he tried to find comfort by the fact that the last thing he was going to see before closing his eyes for eternity was her face. He hated himself right now. He failed her…she didn't exist anymore…the demon wasn't her it was just her body…he had nothing left to live for.

The demon got closer and observed him, curiously sniffing on his stiff body like he was some sort of meat. It probably wondered why its prey had stopped fighting…

The claws went up his chest, leaving deep cuts in his dirty and bruised skin while her face got closer to his, probably to sniff if he was still alive.

Its face hovered above his and his heart felt like made out of stone as he took in the familiar features. He never had a chance to tell her, he never had a chance to show her how much he loved her. He started crying madly and his hand came up to caress her cheek, drawing confusion from the blue eyes. A moment of weakness overcame him because if he was gonna die, he would at least make up for the opportunity he missed on the beach, maybe one part of Erza was still alive and he knew she couldn't rest either without him telling her.

The beast seemed to be more and more confused when he got closer and closer to her face. He tried to neglect the fact that a demon controlled her, he wanted to believe Erza was inside of there and that she would get his message. With this feeling in his heart he leant forward and captured her lips by force, harshly pressing his lips to hers he felt like a drunk that just discovered a new wine. He savoured the feeling, knowing this would be the one and only time he could try to show her, but at the same time he felt something pierce through his stomach, making him gasp and his head fall back.

The claws of the monster were in his stomach but it hastily pulled them out, looking confused like it was having an inner struggle, its eyes flittering around the room and its head fell back, releasing a cry of despair. The beast began to tremble, its whole body shaking and it seemed like it was in pain or like it was torn apart by something. The demon hit his head to the ground while roaring around, repeatedly crashing its head into the earth creating a crater.

Jellal watched all of this, not sure what to think of it, but when the creature pulled its head up again he saw something changed.

The merciless blue eyes were replaced with gentle, brown orbs.

His heart began to sting madly and he pressed a hand towards his wounds to contain the blood loss, not sure if he could trust his eyes, but the demon had changed eye colours…and not only that…

While the body was still covered in scales, something grew larger on the top of the head and it looked like crimson waves started to grow out of its top.

'No' he thought to himself as he watched the transformation 'Not now, please…not…' tears streamed down his face when the creature cried out once again, this time, not a roar or an abnormal scream no, a human cry from a voice so familiar he could never forget it.

He lay eyes on his Erza. Despite her body still covered in scales he recognized that it was his Erza and not the demon. Shock sunk in in both of them as they silently observed each other. With the best that his eyes could do he spotted her face twisting in disbelief and panic. She looked like she experienced a nightmare and slowly, she stumbled forward, breaking down beside him.

He didn't know what to say to her or how he should explain to her that he was dying, how he would explain this in a way that she wouldn't blame herself

'Jellal…?' she whispered disbelievingly, tears streaming down her face as she had to hold back her sobs. She seemed to process everything rather slowly but when she tried to reach forward to observe the wounds in his chest she noticed her claws and the blood on them.

'No…no…this can't…' she murmured to herself while she stared at the bloodstains 'no…I…what…Jellal…what…please tell me…Jellal…' Her sobs were unbearable to his heart and with the few remaining bits of strength he gently grabbed one of her claws, running his thumb up and down while looking her tear stained face.

'It's alright Erza, trust me, it's alright…it's not your fault, it's mine. I should have realized sooner you were in there, I am so sorry' he explained and gave her a weak smile, but she was not fooled by this. She gently lifted his upper body and cradled him in her lap while caressing his right cheek. The tears streamed down her face and her features twisted in sheer despair and sadness as she felt the life slip out of him with each passing second. She gently pressed her lips to his forehead while whispering sweet nonsense into his ear, trying her best to help him to stay conscious but it didn't do any good. She began to shout desperately for help, hoping someone would hear her and help him, she began to try if she had acquired any healing abilities but nothing happened.

When finally his breathing got weaker she looked him in the eyes, admiring for the last time the bright green that would soon be dull and lifeless. With his final breath she heard him mouth the words she wanted to hear for so long.

'I love you, always have and always will'

She knew he wanted to see her smile, she knew that was the only thing that could let him rest peacefully, so with all her might and control she managed to pull together a smile, gentle whispering 'I am so sorry Jellal, I love you too'

She was sure he heard her, she was also sure he'd seen her smile because the last thing his face did before his eyes closed, was smiling brightly.

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**to be continued?**

**if you like/dislike it, please leave a review**


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